Refrigerator and installation construction therefor



O. STRUFE REFRIGERATOR AND INSTALLATION CONSTRUCTION THEREFOR Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,248

Filed June 1927 X 2; J0-- 21 as art.

Patented Sept. 25, 1928. p i

"UNITED STATES or'ro s'rBurE, or

DWIGHT, ILLINOIS,

anrmonaaroa AND INSTALLATION ooNsrRUc'rIon 'rnnanron:

' Application filed June 4,

an extension of the ice receptacle part adapted to pass deeply into or through a hole in the building wall, with the door at the outer end of the extension, thus providing peculiarly advantageous means for what is known as outside icing, together with other benefits and advantages as in-the patent set forth or readily to be appreciated by those skilled in the The problems which confronted me in connection with the matter of installation werefeatures of protection for the refrigerator,.

and by means affording a proper finish to the completed job. There were involved also such considerations as the desirability of avoiding a special construction of the refrigerator, as to the length of its extension, for various installations, and that the refrigerator should be readily available for application to houses already built as well as to houses under construction.

' In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through a refrigerator such as is illustrated in my said patent and with construction features of the present invention applied thereto and to the building wall; Fig. 2 is an outer or front View of the construction of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section as on the line 33 of Fi 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective of a sheet-metal tu ular or sleeve-like member shown in Figs. 1 and 3; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section like that of Fig. 1 showing a modification in the sheet-metal covering and extension feature.

Referring to all of the figures the refriger- 1927. Serial no 196,498.

standard length in its fore-and-aft directions, as should ordinarily be done out of cost cons deratlons', thus avoiding special construct1ons for particular j obs, the extension will necessarily have different relations to the outide surface of diflerent building walls as 18 WlllCh walls vary in thickness. j The presence or absence of such an element as the baseboard 19, Fig.1, holding the rear wall 12 away from the inner wall of the building, is a factor n the variations encountered. Where a wall is unusually thin it may be desirable to pro-' vide such a spacer as 19 of appropriate thickness. l

In order to install a refrigerator having such an extension as, 15 it is first necessary in old buildings to cut an appropriate hole for it through the building wall. The ordinary 'workman would not out such a hole with'any measure of exactness, but even if the hole were a fairly exact one these improvements would still be required for the most satisfactory results. The hole 20, Fig. 1, is shown as being somewhat irregularly cut and as being substantially larger than the extension 15.

Rats frequently gnaw into, and their dead bodles have been found within, refrigerator walls. Since the building w'alls,'particularly in frame, buildings, are full of open spaces, as between the studding, rats and other vermin in the walls would have free and convenlent access to the extension part as 15. One feature of the present invention relates to protection against vermin. Referring to FigsQl and 3, in this pre ferred construction, I first cover the extenslon walls with sheet metal such as tin or galvanized iron, and this is preferably done by nailing upon the wall 13 the metallic plate 21, on the bottom wall 14 of the extension the metallic plate 22, and on the side walls 15 of the extension respectively'the metallic plates 23, these plates being in all instances coextensive with the surfaces respectively to which they are applied. No forming of the metal plates is ,required. This covering, which may be applied by the manufacturer or by the person making the installation, protects the extension from vermin, includmg wood-boring insects, and also against moisture. v

The auxiliary covering and extension device, indicated as a whole b the reference character 25 (Fi 4) may .lie provided in probably its simp est andcheapest form as two substantially 'U-shaped pieces of thin than the extension facilitates the installation.

sheet metal, referablfi co r or galvanized iron, marked A and he part A has a horizontal reach 26 and two ends 27 bent therefrom at right angles, while the part B has a horizontal reach 28 and similar ends 29, the ends 27 and 29 overlapping each other. This extension member 25 will ordinarily not be attached by the manufacturer, but it may be supplied by him as an article of manufac ture, or the person installing the refrigerator may readily bend these members into shape from easily obtainable stock.

When the refrigerator is to be installed the hole 20 in the building wall having been produced, the workman ascertains the distance on the line w'-y of Fig. 1., which distance includes first such spacing from the inner wall as may be caused for example by the baseboard 19, and secondly the thickness of the outer facing element or frame denominated as a. whole by F. Knowing this distancg, and while the refrigerator is entirely away from the building wall, the sheet metal member B of Fig. 4 is applied at such a place on the refrigerator extension 15 as to bring its outer edge preferably fiush with'the outer surface of the frame Nails 30 passing through the top reach 28 will hold this member or part B in its proper position. The bottom member A is then applied as shown in Fig. 4 with its end members 27 overlapping and overlying the end members 29 respect-ively. Such overlap protects against weather at the exposed portions. 'Nails 31 passing throu h the overlapped portions hold them securely together and also upon the refrigerator extension. The nails may be multiplied asdeemed suitable.

The refrigerator is then moved so that the extension 15 and its metallic extension and covering parts project into and through the building wall as shown in Fig. 1. The fact that the opening 20 is considerably larger I The next step is to apply a border-likemember shown as the frame F which, as shown in Fig. 2, consists of an upper reach 33, a lower reach 34, and side reaches 35. Fig. 1 shows that this frame F is applied so as to fit tightly around the extension provided by the rectangular sheet metal tubular or sleeve-like member 25 of Fig. 4. The frame F may be held upon the building wall by nails or otherwise according to the building construction or preference, and nails 36, Fig. 1, as many as may be desired, hold the outer edge portions of the sheet-metal extension 25 tightly and in substantially weather-proof relation to the frame F. A coating of wet paint on the inside edge of the frame F just before it is applied would produce a practicall weather-proof joint at this place. The frame F thus affords a good finish and closes the outer margins of the hole 20 and it cooperates in making a tight and strong construction.

Where there is-such a spacing element as the baseboard 19 it will be advantageous to a Jpl strips of corresponding thickness, as 3 ig. 1, to the rear wall 12 of the refrigerator to close the inner bottom margin of the opening as 20 through the building wall. Other strips such as 38 and 39 ma be applied to the inner surface of the buil ing wall to close the inner margins of the opening 20 around the refrigerator at the top and sides.

WVhilc ordinarily not necessary, an addi-. tional feature of advantage is shown in weather strips 40, Figs. 1 and 2, in the form of quarter-round pieces appliedin the corners at the outer extremity of the refrigerator extension 15. These strips are an additional protection against weather and add finish.

In Fig. 5 parts already described are given the same reference characters res ectively. In this modification the covering plates 21,

'22 and 23 are omitted and the covering and extension device of Fig. 4 is made in the first instance unnecessarily long so as to provide an excess to be cut away as a final operation. These parts are marked A-A and BB in Fig. 5 and constitute at once the complete covering for the refrigerator extension 15 and that extension part of the covering adapted to be secured to the outer frame F. According to this construction the Workman who installs the job simply nails the parts A-A and 13-15 upon the refrigerator extension body and then moves the refrigerator into place and applies the outer frame F, nailing the parts A-A and BB to the frame F. These parts A-A and 3-13 are long enough to take care of all variations in the thickness of the building wall ordinarily encountered, and therefore in most instances there Will be a part thereof, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5,

extending outwardly beyond the frame F.

As a final operation this excess is cut away. This may be done by the ordinary workman by means ofa hack saw, beginning at one corner, cutting in with snips from the free edges, removing the excess material at that corner, and then proceeding with the hack saw all the way around. He could also use a sharp chisel as the metal is thin and the frame F would furnish ample support.

' According to these constructions the installation of the refrigerator may be effected in a very simple and easy way, with the result of a strong and weather-proof construction,

of neat appearance, and with the refrigerator 'anddepartures from what is thus specifically illustrated and described as. fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a refrigerator having a body extension of the character described adapted to pass deeply into an opening through a building wall, of a metallic covering surrounding the extension and projecting to the outside of the building wall when the refrigerator is normally installed, with a border-like member at the outer extremity of said covering for closing the outer margins of the opening through the building wall.

2. The combination with a refrigerator having a body extension of the character described adapted to pass deeply into an opening through a building wall, of a pair of substantially U-shaped sheet metal members surrounding the extension and projecting to the outside of the building wall when the refrigerator is normally installed, with means associated with said U-shaped members for closing the outer margins of the opening'through the building wall.

3. The combination with a refrigerator having a body extension of the character described adapted to ass deeply into an opening through a buil ing wall, of a sleeve-like member surrounding the extension and telescopically adjustable so as to extend to a predetermined place adjacent to the outside of the building wall when the refrigerator is normally installed, with means associated with said sleeve-like member for closing,the outer margins of the opening through the building wall.

4. The combination with a refrigerator having a body extension of the character described adapted to pass deeply into an opening through a building wall, of a metallic V Wall and surrounding the outer edge portions f of the sleeve-like member, said outer edge I portions being secured to the frame.

5, The combination with a refrigerator having a body extension-thereof projecting deeply into an opening through a building wall, of a protective cover surrounding and substantially coextensive with said extension, a protective sleeve overlying said cover and extending to the outside of the building wall when the refrigerator is normally installed, and means at the outer end of the sleeve closing the outer margins of the opening through the building wall, said sleeve being permanently held upon said cover and at its outer endl in permanent relation to the building wa 6; The combination with a refrigerator having a rectangular body extension projecting into an opening through a building wall,

' of a metallic. plate covering the upper, lower and side surfaces respectively of said extension, a metallic sleeve surrounding said socovered extenslon and extending to the outside of the building wall when the refrigerator is normally installed, said sleeve and said plates being permanently secured to the refrigerator extension, and a frame at the outer end of the sleeve closing the outer margins of the opening through thebuilding wall,

said sleeve being permanently secured to said frame.

OTTO STRUFE. 

